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Gun lobby group files suit against Gov. Hickenlooper

A Colorado gun lobby has filed suit against Gov. John Hickenlooper in the latest volley against the state's new gun laws.

In a Sept. 4 filing, the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners argue that Colorado exceeded its authority in passing laws mandating background checks and restricting the size of magazines, according to Danielle Thompson, the organization's spokeswoman.

Hickenlooper is the sole defendant, court records show.

A copy of the complaint, filed in Denver District Court, wasn't immediately available.

The Rocky Mountain Gun Owners bills itself as Colorado's largest gun rights organization. Joining it as plaintiffs are the National Association for Gun Rights, another gun lobby, and Eagle, Colo., firearms dealer Alpine Arms.

Asked for a comment on the lawsuit, Hickenlooper spokesman Eric Brown said in an email that he hadn't seen the complaint and added, "We're focused now on the flooding that is affecting thousands of Coloradans."

The civil action came days before a widely watched recall election in which voters in El Paso County and Pueblo ousted Colorado Senate President John Morse and State Sen. Angela Giron, who supported the gun measures.

The lawsuit is scheduled for a Sept. 23 review hearing before Denver District Judge Edward David Bronfin, court records show.

A constitutional challenge filed in U.S. District Court earlier this year by a coalition of Colorado sheriffs also is pending.